Kent Meyers

Here is a post from my personal blog that I feel should be on this DSU bolg because it definitely relates to school. The post concerns a Mark Twain selected authors course that I am taking. Enjoy:

Kent Meyers, a published author and professor and BHSU, visited a literature class of mine today. His advice for writing: write, write, and write. This is what I caught from his presentation. He also preached observation which is something that I think all great and good writers possess. Today he discussed a story of his titled "Light in the Crossing."

His process for writing is what intrigued me the most. He doesn't begin by outlining a story or even really thinking about it ahead of time; his process for writing this story was to write. He began writing and continued writing (over a period of time) until this story emerged; this was fascinating! I too thoroughly enjoy creative writing and found this writing process out last summer. I would retreat to the library where I would begin reading until I no longer wanted to read and then I began to write. I did start the writing process with anything specific in my mind, but instead thought of a situation and built it from there. to my surprise the story emerged and I became enveloped in it! What a connection.

He also spoke about tension and this is what he looked for when writing. He wanted to find or create a situation in which this tension, between two people perhaps, would play out. He would keep within the moment and space where the tension was created and elaborate. I loved hearing him speak about creative writing and now have some framework for my future writing. Thanks Kent Meyers!